In a thriving economy, we'd call Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski's grand plans to expand one of his eateries (Sea Saw) and open three brand-new ones (Mexican Standoff, Shell Shock, Confection) "ambitious." Reeeally ambitious. These days, as the SouthBridge spaces for his unopened businesses sit dark (oh god, the rent!), the guy seems incredibly overextended.
A piece on AZCentral today reflects the dire situation. It's not surprising to hear that Sea Saw chef (and James Beard award-w
Since I reported the upcoming closure of Sea Saw -- this Sunday is its last night of service -- the restaurant's been deluged with people wanting to come in before it's too late.
So to give everyone a chance to say farewell (until chef Nobuo Fukuda's next venture, that is), they're opening their doors to the public starting at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday night for a going away celebration.
Reservations are not available or necessary, as they'll be pulling out the chairs from the counter
Sea Saw chef Nobuo Fukuda's cutting-edge sashimi creations and luxurious omakase dinners have earned him not only legions of devotees, but a prestigious James Beard "Best Chef: Southwest" award. And since the opening of NOCA last August, chef Chris Curtiss has gained a cult following for his stunning crudo dishes and innovative seafood presentations -- along with a "Best New Restaurant" semi-finalist nod from the James Beard Foundation.
Put the two of them in the same kitchen, and you
The Scottsdale Culinary Festival sounds monolithic, but the granddaddy among the Valley's culinary festivals is surprisingly multifaceted -- a dozen different events at 16 different restaurants and venues around town, ranging from casual tastings to semi-formal sit-down occasions.
James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda is closing Sea Saw, his seven-year-old Stetson Drive eatery, to focus on a new project. Sunday, June 7, will be the last night of service.
It's truly the end of an era in the Valley culinary scene, but also the beginning of a new one -- which Fukuda sounds excited about.
"It's not the economy -- I could just keep Sea Saw open," Fukuda tells me. "It's because of the new venture."
He's considering Phoenix for the new restaurant, whose name is still
Chef Nobuo Fukuda treated his fans and regulars to a final feast at Sea Saw.Fans of chef Nobuo Fukuda and his sophisticated contemporary Japanese cooking were treated to an all-you-can-eat splurge this past weekend, with a two-night cocktail party-style dinner at Sea Saw. It was the restaurant's final hurrah before Fukuda goes indie (visit his website, www.nobuofukuda.com, to keep up with him while he's working on his new Phoenix restaurant).
Friends who attended Thursday night's get-tog
AZCentral's list of 20 new restaurants scheduled to open by the end of the year has suddenly been changed to 15 since the story was posted yesterday. Not hard to figure out which five are now missing -- it's the restaurants on Jackson that Bernie Kantak is planning. Should we read between the lines and assume that the project's gotten pushed out to 2010? Let's hope not.
A bunch of new Scottsdale eateries are reportedly in the works: Yellow House, a bakery and breakfast p
This really puts the "welcome" in Welcome Diner.
James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda is testing out dishes for his in-the-works restaurant this coming Saturday (August 8) at Welcome Diner (924 E. Roosevelt). It's the second such night he's hosted since closing Sea Saw in early June.
Although Fukuda's new izakaya concept is still under wraps (I'm sworn to secrecy on the possible location, but Central Phoenix is a strong contender), fans can get a taste preview with his late
Food trucks have quite the buzz these days, especially the Kogi Korean BBQ-to-Go trucks in Los Angeles. Rabid fans follow the biz on Twitter and get tweets on where to find Korean shortrib tacos at any given moment.
While chowing down on some of Nobuo Fukuda's badass pork belly buns at his one-off event at Welcome Diner the other night, the subject came up in relation to Phoenix.
Why the hell aren't there more food trucks in Phoenix? After all, we're all about car culture -- just like L.A. -- so
